Lee at peace with Orioles

But will Cubs miss former 1st baseman's numbers and leadership as season rolls along?

April 30, 2011|By Dave van Dyck, Tribune reporter

Orioles' Derrek Lee hits a RBI single during the third inning against the White Sox. (Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE, US PRESSWIRE)

His numbers are hardly mind-boggling — batting average .237, one homer and four RBIs — but compared to Carlos Pena's they aren't all that bad.

Or, figure it this way: Pena's five RBIs so far have cost the Cubs $2 million apiece; Derrek Lee's four have cost the Orioles about $1.8 million. In other words, the Cubs' new first baseman isn't a whole lot different than the old one in the season's early going.

Lee, who was back in Chicago this weekend at U.S. Cellular Field, said he never was asked to return this winter, not after he was traded to the Braves on Aug. 18 for three minor leaguers. Would he have returned?

"I don't know. Under the right terms, yes." he said. "But it was pretty obvious and (Cubs general manager Jim Hendry) was pretty straight forward when they were trying to trade me. He wouldn't have traded me if he had wanted to bring me back."

Lee is in a new league now, with only fond memories and the disappointment of what could have been — like all former Cubs.

"I would have loved to have won a championship in Chicago," he said. "It didn't work out. That would be the negative (about my time as a Cub). I thought we had a couple of teams that had a shot. …

"Everyone wants to be on that team when they finally get it done. It's going to be something to see. If they're in the World Series and I'm retired, I'll probably come."

The Cubs were close — "close" being relative for the Cubs — three times with Lee and he claims the best team of the bunch was the 2004 club that collapsed at the end of the season and didn't make the playoffs.

In 2007, the Cubs were three-and-done against the Diamondbacks and in 2008, they had the best record in the National League but couldn't win one game against the Dodgers.

"We were so good the last month of the ('08) season (winning) didn't matter too much," Lee said. "There's something about that that translates into the postseason. I don't know why. It was almost like we had to turn it back on and we couldn't do it."

Now that team has been broken up, with its quiet clubhouse leader gone.